---
title: "What Is Root flare? Stump Grinding Glossary | Cincinnati Stump Grinding"
description: "The root flare, also called the trunk flare, is the wider part at the base of a trunk where it spreads out to meet the roots."
url: https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/root-flare
publisher: Cincinnati Stump Grinding
phone: +1-513-587-6772
quote: https://cincystump.multisites.ai/contact
---

Tree

# Root flare

The root flare, also called the trunk flare, is the wider part at the base of a trunk where it spreads out to meet the roots.

The root flare is where the trunk widens just above the ground. It is the transition between trunk and roots. Trees Are Good, from the International Society of Arboriculture, says the trunk flare is where the trunk expands at the base of the tree.

For stumps, the flare matters because it makes the base wider than the trunk above. A stump cut low may show the flare and surface roots. Measuring [stump diameter](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/stump-diameter) at the widest point can include the flare.

On a living tree, the flare should be visible above the soil. Buried flare is a planting problem, not a stump problem. [Buttress roots](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/buttress-roots) and [surface roots](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/surface-roots) often start in this area.

## Related terms

-   [Buttress roots](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/buttress-roots)
-   [Surface roots](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/surface-roots)
-   [Stump diameter](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/stump-diameter)
-   [Stump](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/stump)

## Sources

1.  [Trees Are Good (ISA): Planting a Tree](https://www.treesaregood.org/Tree-Owner-Resources/Planting-a-Tree)